Sick note: Faking illness online

[ShannonD]

Oh forget it... there are several mess ups.... lol

 

[Mellismom]

This is the first time I ever read about this problem but I'm afraid I'm not surprised. The human mind can be a strange and sometimes dark place to be in. Think of being so caught up in your own lies you can't find the way out again? I pitty those people. It's propably an addiction of other people's sympathy and I'm afraid the internet is an easy way to lie. Whatever problems let them to do this must be psychological and I'm sure they are horribly painful. The lies are just covering up some real issues they can't talk about... I wish the forum they would seek out was of a psychological character rather than about psysical illnesses so they can get the support they actually need. Poor people who have been fooled by these imposters. Hope it doesn't happen to me but I won't start being paranoid now. As I said I'm not suprised about this...

 

[Sandie]

I feel sorry for these people to some degree because it sounds like they are reaching out for sympathy in their own lives. I do think they are dangerous though because they can give the wrong advice on these forums and cause a great deal of grief. Why the heck would someone want to fake epilepsy. I certainly am not happy about having it and I wouldn't want people to know that I smell things that aren't there etc if I didn't have to. It is embarrassing so why mimic it. When I was first diagnosed I found it very difficult to come to terms with. I felt 'damaged' for want of a better word. I still feel that way to a certain degree but I don't feel like people are judging me now. I think it is because I have stopped judging myself. Just sayin'...

 

[mamasita]

I agree with Sandie and others in that I feel sorry for the people whose lives are so hollow and minds are so mixed up that they have to fake an illness for human contact. It also puts the "real" people on guard, do you trust what people have written, the questions they ask? I think in the end everyone is just reaching out or holding out a hand. With out trust in others we would all be in the dark, alone. I am thankful that the trust was given to me.

 

[tinyfrogs]

I've known of people online who faked other illnesses, and eventually someone figured it out. I understand psychological issues. What I dont get is how people dont realize there are real people with real feelings on the other side of the screen. I've had psych issues for years, but when the hallucinatioms, smells, deja vu, and things never really went away and none of the antipsychotic meds really worked, my psychiatrist was smart enough to see what nobody else had figured out. I had been having seizures for years but because of my psych history and because they werent typically what people recognized as seizures, they kept pushing psych meds. Now that I know, I wish it was psychological...at least I was used to that.

 

[cazzy]

it would be easy to say just dont answer but these people as you say have done there reseach i would like to think i could see through them being a bit cynical but these people like hard sell people put hook out and you dont realize you been caught..they catch someone at a moment in life and they know rich pickings on that persons emotional life guilts etc they give family a miss as these people sap it out of the kind person who thinks they helping,you become a part of there delusianal life...shrinks given it a name but to me they selfish people who instead of getting off butts do something it all poor me
i have heard some nasty things like this being done to kind hearted people

 

[kellert16]

Wow, I would gladly give them my illnesses so they can actually feel the pain and hurt. I beleive it though, people are so odd... shame

 

[cadsgj]

Wow! After reading this, so many thoughts flowed through my head. The one thought that kept flowing back into my mind is "if only I could be one just telling a story" and as reality quickly reminds me of three brain surgeries and the who knows how many seizures through my head, the "if only" isn't such a thought that lasts as it turns into a sick dream. I can only think of just how sick a person in reality is who can fake not just seizures, but any of the other medical/health issues that in reality isn't in their life.

Shoot, I had to leave the room here as tears started slipping into my eyes and down my cheek... didn't want the wife to see.

In reality, just the thought of all this is very upsetting to me. After near 20 years in my life, I just cannot imagine how anyone could fake epileptic seizures! But then I guess I can't be one who knows of other types of seizures than what I have... hmmm... now my mind is wondering. While I have read of many other types of seizures than what I have, that is all the farther there I could go, reading of it, not knowing of anything in reality beyond my own experience. onder:

 

[masterjen]

Faking illness on a website - in the sense of pretending to have an illness that other people have - is more common than I thought it. I've encountered it on a couple of other websites as well. The administrator of one of these other sites informed me that it is not so much that they "wish" they had the illness; they are just going around making dumb comments, pretending to offer helpful information, an trying to provoke members and start arguments. I was blown away by that. Some people are just bored and have WAY too much time on their hands!!!

 

[QueenieKP]

Fabricated illness (which this would fall under) is a very serious psychological condition. MBI is awful buy when you see a parent or caregiver fabricating illness in their child (Munchuasen by proxy) and making them have unnecessary medical procedures you realise how sick and deluded they are. Often having experienced significant childhood trauma. I do understand how devestating this abuse of trust makes people feel. But it is rare, CWE is right to caution members to be careful, but fingers crossed will not have someone on the board x

 

[motorbill66]

Well, I have returned to this site after a couple of years away because I was strongly rebuked by a member for saying that we shouldn't hate the fakers, since they have an illness too. I'm glad to see that quite a few members, in the meantime, have come to that same understanding of the situation. I'm no longer so ticked off at the whole thing, and I hope to learn and contribute much more in the future. Thanks for listening.

 

[Shelley]

Glad you're back.
There's plenty of new stuff and new people.
Browse and engage in some pretty interesting threads.

 

[Behindblueeyes]

Yes this type of disorder can be extremely devastating to the people around the individual with this disorder, but as a nurse, I have worked with people with this disorder and they aren't all bad. Yes they have major issues.. but as I started out.. this is a disorder defined in the DSM-IV as a "fictitious disorder" in which people claim false information about their health history as well as other symptoms such as claiming untrue credentials or simply lying about normal events happening (300.19 in the DSM-IV-TR). Yes it seems sick for any of them to fake a seizure, but it's the same as judging someone for an addiction. It isn't the person.. it's an illness that needs to be treated. I have seen individuals with Munchhausen treated successfully but many times there are so many other issues with the patient such as personality disorders that it makes it hard to isolate treatment. It is best to try and have a little compassion for these people. I am not saying feed into everything that they say or do as it can emotionally impact many of us, in fact that would be considered enabling them.. but don't be so quick to rip them apart for doing something most of us cannot comprehend. It is not a personal attack against individuals with epilepsy (I don't take it personally), it is an attempt to gain compassion and attention and it just happens to be in the form of a fake seizure.

 

[motorbill66]

Behindblueeyes.

Thank you so much for putting this far better than I did. You are a valuable asset to this community. Stick around please.

 

[Shandy]

I will admit I can be very suspicious of people, maybe people will be of me but I grew up with an undiagnosed person with munchhausen. It is very distressing to be in that environment and it is very abusive. Even now a plan of their medical records has to be in place so different hospitals in the area know what they are dealing with. They will probably never be officially diagnosed or be given help but certain things have been done so me and others don't get seen as heartless when no reaction is shown.

They will lie and say anything and even put themselves in harm to achieve this. They are clever and know pain and other things that can't show on an xray or test is their way into a hospital. Vomiting, taking to many tablets/not enough so they get unwell etc.

Sorry if this offends anyone. Just from personal experience.

 

[marika853]

I agree Motorbill with everything that you said. We do need to show some compassion. I think the reason some people are offended (hurt) is because the fakers don't realize how much E patients Do suffer and it appears that they have no regard for us. But they are also sick.
M

 

[cadsgj]

Goodness, twice here I have went overboard to go forward with my opinion and both times while I went way overboard, I know exactly why. In 20 years I have had too many issues via seizures, with those who have fun... have stupid jokes... who fake it; I don't believe I'm talking about a disorder. Last week a group of young adults came up to me while I was waiting for a bus, laughing and joking about what "my problem" was as I came out of a seizure there downtown in public. Are they going to "fake it" to have more fun in public with friends? At a party? This was not a group suffering with a disorder, and this is where I better stop.

 

[motorbill66]

Well, somebody had to instigate it. You don't call that sick? I'm trying to understand here; honest. We've all had this issue, but there are various ways to handle it. Speculating over what the ignorant and arrogant youngsters might do later only makes YOU angry and wastes the time of what I'm sure is an enlightened and intelligent individual. That's you, not them. They are actually covering for their own embarrassment and discomfort with your situation. I'm not trying to lecture you, but like the title of a book I read long ago said: Don't Let Jerks Ruin Your Life.

 

[MAB]

I haven't read all the posts on this thread yet but I have been on the internet for about 19 years. Over the years I have seen many hoaxes. I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt but sometimes you just get a vibe that something isn't right. Anymore I usually keep my thoughts to myself because I have been attacked too many times for pointing out things that don't sound right, especially on some of the autism groups on Facebook. Maybe because I have been an apartment manager for over 30 years I am usually able to catch things that just don't add up.

 

[cadsgj]

My apologies motorbill66. Wrong issue to bring up here. Even though I disagree with you via many in society, I will leave it alone, especially because this forum is about "Sick note: Faking illness online."